What are you really saying?

Some people like Crosswords, others like Sudoko. I have my own little game.

I like to process and analyze creative and it’s messages. So much so, it’s now become an involuntary game for me. It’s compulsive and I do it without even thinking about it. (Okay, it could have something to do with being in the business of advertising for 20 years).

I really like to observe, critique and take in multiple messages as I journey throughout my day and I find that I study these messages like a canvas.

Hmmm…I think. What are you really saying?

The visuals. The copy lines. The content. I like to interpret them. I am keenly aware of how messages hit me at a couple of levels: initially and then over time. How did that impact me, inspire me, and change my views of the product, the company? Did I “get it” right away, or did I have to really think about it and in doing so, you lost me.

I recently heard that we are exposed to 3000 – 5500 messages per day and that when we go to sleep at night, we erase anything that’s not relevant. So it has to be relevant to stick. (Another thought I had. Wow. That’s a lot of messages. No wonder my mind is always working).

I’ve always said “consumers vote with their wallet” and as a marketing professional, it’s imperative that I am able to tap into the skill of putting myself into the decision makers chair and to look at things objectively. I need to see things from the consumers eyes because I understand that a fatal error in marketing and advertising is basing ones branding decisions on personal preferences.

It’s not about me. It’s about what speaks to the consumer.

It’s all about the person we’re going after.

We always think about how the messages we create for our clients will get the job done and accomplish that which it’s intended to. Otherwise, it’s like shooting off an arrow and having it fall gravely short of the bullseye. We just can’t let that happen, now can we?

On a fun final note…here’s a peek into the mind of Ronda. (You’ve been warned).

I recently went through a drive-thru and captured this image.

I giggled when I saw this and asked myself “Hmmm…what’s the message here?”. The answer that came to me. “Starbucks Wins. Apple Loses”.